ASEAN | DD News

January 22, 2026 1:26 PM

ASEAN chair Philippines hosts Myanmar ‘stakeholder meeting’ to push stalled peace bid

The Philippines, the current chair of ASEAN, this week hosted a meeting of "important political groups" from army-ruled Myanmar, officials said on Thursday, in an effort to advance the regional bloc's long-stalled peace plan. Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, who took over this year as ASEAN's special envoy to the crisis in Myanmar, said discussions at the "stakeholders' meeting" in Tagaytay included talk of de-escalation, facilitating aid delivery and fostering political...

January 20, 2026 10:18 AM

ASEAN will not certify Myanmar election or send observers, Malaysia says

The 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations will not send observers to army-ruled Myanmar's ongoing three-stage election and will therefore not endorse the poll, Malaysia's foreign minister said on Tuesday. Myanmar has been ravaged by conflict since the military staged a coup against a civilian government in 2021. The election, which began in December last year, has been criticised by the United Nations, many Western countries and rights groups as a ploy to legitimise military rule th...

October 26, 2025 9:36 AM

East Timor, Asia’s youngest nation, becomes ASEAN’s 11th member

Asia's youngest nation East Timor on Sunday became the 11th member of the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN, fulfilling a vision set out by its current president nearly a half-century ago while under Portuguese rule. Also known as Timor-Leste, the country of 1.4 million people is among Asia's poorest and hopes to see gains from integrating its fledgling economy, which at about $2 billion represents only a tiny fraction of ASEAN's collective $3.8 trillion gross domestic product. East Timor's accession...

October 24, 2025 1:05 PM

ASEAN to host Trump at summit as US and China seek to avert trade war escalation

The bloc of Southeast Asian nations will host world leaders at a summit this weekend that will run alongside pivotal trade talks between the United States and China and serve as the first stop for U.S. President Donald Trump’s swing through Asia. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations will press for trade multilateralism and deeper ties with new partners, while managing the fallout from Trump's global tariff offensive at its annual meeting in Malaysia's capital. Trump will be in Kuala Lu...

October 11, 2025 10:16 AM

ASEAN to discuss Myanmar election observers at October summit

Myanmar's junta has invited the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to send observers for planned year-end elections, and the bloc will discuss the request during a regional summit later this month, Malaysia's foreign ministry has said. The invitation to send election observers was extended to all ASEAN member states, the ministry said in a statement on Friday night. "The foreign minister noted the invitation extended to ASEAN member states to send election observers. For Malaysia, ...

March 19, 2025 10:18 AM

India and Malaysia hold bilateral meeting to strengthen trade and economic cooperation

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasada, held a bilateral meeting on Tuesday with Malaysian Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry, Liew Chin Tong, to explore ways to strengthen trade relations and review progress on the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA). Both leaders agreed to accelerate the review of AITIGA, aiming for a substantial conclusion by 2025, according to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Malaysia is one of the ...

March 13, 2025 10:57 AM

27th ASEAN-India Senior Officials’ meeting in Manila strengthens strategic ties

The 27th ASEAN-India Senior Officials’ Meeting (AISOM) took place in Manila on Wednesday, co-chaired by Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East), Government of India, and H.E. MA. Theresa P. Lazaro, Philippine SOM Leader from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Philippines currently serves as the Country Coordinator for ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations. Senior officials from all ASEAN Member States, Timor Leste as an Observer, and the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN were in attendance. The meeting...

December 31, 2024 11:04 AM

Quad marks two decades of cooperation, reaffirms commitment to a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific

Marking the 20th anniversary of their collaboration, the Quad nations—India, Australia, Japan, and the United States—have reaffirmed their shared vision for a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The grouping's origins trace back to the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which claimed nearly a quarter of a million lives and displaced 1.7 million people across 14 countries. In a joint statement by the U.S. Secretary of State and the Foreign Ministers of India, Au...

November 23, 2024 9:32 PM

India’s bilateral trade with ASEAN sees 5.2% growth at $73 billion in April-Oct

India’s bilateral trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grew by 5.2% to reach $73 billion during the April-October period of this fiscal year, the government informed on Saturday. ASEAN is one of India’s major trade partners, accounting for about 11% of India’s global trade. Bilateral trade in FY2023-24 was valued at $121 billion, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The sixth ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) Joint Committee meeting and...

November 20, 2024 12:42 PM

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to meet Chinese counterpart in Laos on Wednesday

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will meet his Chinese counterpart, General Li Shangfu, on Wednesday in Vientiane, Laos. The two will meet on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus). This will be their first meeting after the disengagement at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The last meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart was in April 2023 in India, when then-Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu visited Delhi for the SCO Defence ...